Mizzium Boiler3
Artifact (R)
At the beginning of each end step, if you cast an instant or sorcery spell this turn, put a steam counter on Mizzium Boiler. Then if Mizzium Boiler has three or more steam counters on it, remove all counters from it and cast an instant or sorcery card from your graveyard chosen at random without paying its mana cost. If that card would be put into a graveyard this turn, exile instead.
---"Eh, it's fine. Just makes sure it doesn't overheat. Shouldn't be too hard." - Davka, Izzet Engineer

I think part of the reason why the first few sets feel rather bland this time around is because they're doing "block" novels again. Normally we'd have some story articles by now, but they can't really undercut the storytelling of their own upcoming novel (although some of it is inevitable since we see key story points on the cards). That being said, I think the "filler" stories on the Mothership were done pretty well. They're kind of similar to the old Kamigawa vignettes in that they tell self-contained stories that aren't really relevant to the main plot, with the difference being that the Kamigawa vignettes were about "legends" opposed to the "random dudes" in the Ravnica short stories.

IIRC in the original concept push for RtR, they actually ran out of time before they could design Simic's architecture lmao. So that probably explains the discrepancies.

That's precisely why I was hoping that they'd do it properly this time around. For a guild that supposedly is crazy about everything being organic, their integration of gothic architecture and magitech stuff is surprisingly inorganic. We need more Novijen, Heart of Progress vibes!

I think everyone hoping for a Spectacle Lightning Bolt or stuff if similar power level is bound to be disappointed. That doesn't mean there won't be any interesting/powerful cards, if Light up the Stage is any indication.

As much as I like the Simic, portrayals of the guild's architecture have always been hit of miss for me. It feels like Wizards still hasn't quite figured out what Simic buildings should look like. I was looking forward to the Simic guild kit basics, but these are kind of meh imo ("gothic spire + swirly glowy thing"). It's also strange that we've yet to see the zonots that are so important to the guild now. I guess the Island could be one?

Scrap Scrabbler2R
Creature - Goblin Artificer (UC)
Artifact spells you cast cost 2 less to cast as long as one or more artifact cards were put into your graveyard from anywhere this turn. This effect can't reduce the mana cost of a spell to less than 1.2/2

Patrol Leader2WU
Creature - Human Soldier (UC)
When Patrol Leader enters the battlefield, detain target creature an opponent controls.
As long as an opponent controls a detained creature, other creatures you control have vigilance.
---"We might have our culprit, but stay wary. You can never be sure about what happens next in precincts like this."3/2

Gold-Lance Captain4W
Creature - Human Knight (R)
Exalted, vigilanceLieutenant - At the beginning of combat on your turn, if you control your commander, create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token with Exalted.
---"On that fateful day, the ears of wheat on the Akrasan plains were replaced with spearheads of the faithful, gleaming in the afternoon light." - Marid of the Tower, A Chronicle of the Conflux3/5